Rules of Love
by TheLeftover
Summary: Completely AU Harry attracted danger, as he soon realizes when a certain someone turns up uninvited on his porch and leading him down a terrifying chase for his life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, so I'm back! With my new story. Thanks for all the reviews for my previous stories. **

**This new story is very much AU with everyone dead actually alive, and the Weasleys not familiar with the Potters. Its when Harry has already defeated Voldemort, when he is about… twenty years old, maybe.**

**Anyway, hope you love it, and as always leave reviews! This time, my whole story is in Harry's point of view.**

My life wasn't always easy. I mean, yeah, sure, my parents were alive, they helped me defeat Voldemort, so far I had two godsons, but I had always had a real problem with authority. Put on probation from Aurors for five times- I think I am breaking Padfoot's record, really- defying the Head Auror outright (incidentally, my dad) and arguing with the deputy head at least once a day. Taking off on missions on my own. I was a problem kid. That's why Padfoot and Moony call me Trouble- they still do. And my sister- pain in the freaking arse sister- berates me everyday to set a better example for her kids. I don't see why. The twins wreak everything in their path. I'm just their guide.

Anyway, by my collection of scars, it was pretty clear that I attracted danger. And then one day, I literally attracted danger. You know when you're young, your dad or mum tells you never to talk to strangers? Well, fuck me, but its actually bloody true.

A hell far worse than Voldemort was what greeted me when I… talked to a stranger.

So, I drew up a set of rules. I don't do things by the law. I break it. But in this case, I will make an exception.

Personally, I think its worth it for meeting the… stranger. But if you want to avoid the hell I went through you might as well follow the rules.

**Rule #1: Never, ever, let a bedraggled (hot) woman into your house, in the middle of a freaking storm in the dead of night. While you're at it, do not stare at her body. Too much. **

I neither like or hate storms. But storms meant no guys' night out, and my bed was cold. So, on that night, I had poured ice cream into a bowl, and flipped the channels on the TV.

Yes, I watch TV. I also play Xbox, computer games… I don't do things by the book, really.

I picked up the remote. Bugs Bunny. The News. Some mushy movie. Drama series. Tom and Jerry. The X Factor. I considered chucking the TV out the window.

And then the bell rang.

Usually, when it's a storm, its 11pm, and there's lightning, when the bell rings you assume it's a mad axe murderer waiting to seize his next victim and you do not open the door. But as I said, I do not do things by the book. I set my untouched bowl down, and moved to the door. Not realizing that when I opened the door, my life might change forever.

I opened it.

On the porch stood a girl. Maybe my age, maybe younger. Red hair that lay damp on her head and reached her shoulders. In a shirt and jeans that clung to her… very shapely body.

So sue me, I like a hot female.

She was really short, and very pretty. Too much so. Raindrops were pouring on her head, down her cheeks, on her back and front. Her mascara was running. Her brown eyes were something to look at- sad, yet bright. Something had happened to her- well, no shit, she was standing in the bloody rain at 11pm in then night, I berated myself.

She was pretty- had I mentioned that before?- but Bellatrix Lestrange used to look like a Victoria's Secret model- or so Moony says, anyway- and look how she turned out. I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Can I come in? I have nowhere to go," she said quietly. And she gave me the huge puppy dog eyes.

Its very shameful to think that something so mortally mere as _puppy-freaking-dog-eyes_ can make me melt my outer shell, but it did. I stood to one side, despite something in my head saying no, and she stepped in.

Next time, I am definitely listening to the something in my head.

"Thank you," she whispered. The poor- pretty- thing was trembling like a leaf in a wind. "Let me get you a blanket," I muttered. Truth was, I had not done my laundry in weeks, and so got out my Auror robes and draped them around her instead. She looked overwhelmed with the robes hanging over her, like some overhanging, bulky kind of thing. Thinking that laughter would be inappropriate, I guided her down to the couch and turned off the TV. I looked down at her. She was still staring into space.

When it comes to girls, I have a lot of experience to do with sexual matters, and very little when it comes to feelings. I wrung my hands. "Okay, what are you doing at eleven pm in the night, in my house, in the middle of the night?" Addie- my sister- also used to scold me for being tactless. Hey, I'm male.

"My b-boyfriend c-cheated on me, with my best f-friend. Or ex- best friend." What I had mistaken for raindrops were actually tears. Boyfriend and best mate both stabbing you in the back- that was harsh. And she looked pathetic- and pretty, had I mentioned that? Maybe I had- in the wet clothes and Auror robes. I knelt down. "Okay, what's your name?" I asked gently.

"G-ginny Weasley," she sniffed. "I'm sniveling all on your robes, you must think me pathetic… it was just he was perfect, and he- he-"

"Cheated on you," I said symphatetically. "With your best mate. What an asshole. But before we start bitching, why not you go freshen up, and I'll get some clothes ready. The shower's down the hall, and maybe there's a towel somewhere…" I snapped my fingers, and a towel zoomed in. "Ah. Now, go on to the shower."

She wiped her nose and I winced. "Thanks," she said tearfully. "You're kind. These days I rarely meet kind wizards."

Kind? That's an insult.

"Um, thanks." I moved off to the kitchen and looked into the fridge, as she tottered down the hallway. Thunder rolled across the sky as I looked into the fridge and realized I had enough for only one small sandwich. And about five cans of beer. I really needed to get a girlfriend.

Weasley. There was a Weasley, head of some Muggle management office or something- Archie Weasley? Artie? There was some deal last year about his daughter running off or whatever.

I had learnt the hard way that snooping around never ensured your safety. What could I say? It was an unfortunate hobby of mine.

Ten minutes later, Ginny appeared in the kitchen in my old checkered shirt that I grew out of and a pair of trousers. She looked really cute in those. Her hair was a unique colour- flaming red, like fire. I leant against the door when she sat down on the chair, twisting her hands. "Do you work?" I asked.

"No."

I raised my eyebrows. She sighed. "Drake Martin was everything I hoped for. He treated me like a princess, buying me everything, and he said he would provide me money, you know, and so I gave up my job, my family and then walked on him on top of my best friend."

I leant forward. "You… ran away from home." This guy was a real charmer. She nodded, tearing up again. And then her jaw dropped. "Hold on, you're Harry Potter!"

Another fangirl. "Nice, what gave it away? The scar? The dreamy green eyes shimmering with the burden he has had to bear?"

Sometimes, I really hated Rita Skeeter.

"You never went to Hogwarts," She continued, staring at me. "You wanted to defeat him, didn't you?"

"You can stay here for the night," I told her. "The room on the right. I'm in the left. Yes, I wanted to defeat him, but who wouldn't? He killed people." I brought her the sandwich. "Food might cheer you up." I was shit at cooking, but not shit at sanwiches. I make a mean tuna sandwich.

She smiled brightly, and I had to blink. She wasn't just pretty. She was downright beautiful. I couldn't see how anyone would want to cheat on her.

"Thank you, Harry Potter," she whispered. "Sorry if I angered you. Can- can we talk in the morning? I have no one left." My heart went out to her. All alone. No one should suffer like that.

"Sure," I smiled. "You've got yourself a friend."

The look in her eyes was heartbreaking. Full of hope.

Who knew a woman could be my downfall? I certainly didn't. Addie would have a field day with this.


	2. Chapter 2

So, I offered a strange girl who turned up on my front porch a night at my place. There is nothing wrong with that. If she wanted to kill me, she would have ran in and done the old one-two. She didn't. She was quietly resting in the room opposite mine. And because it was late, I immediately crashed into bed.

There is no matter if you broke rule number one. You can still follow- in fact you have to follow rule number two. Which I broke- which, in turn, just shows how much of an idiot I really am.

**Rule #2: If a girl asks you to talk, whatever you do, **_**you do not talk.**_** Hang yourself. Run out like a madman. Jump from the building. But you better avoid that talk.**

I am a typical male. I am not a touchy-feely kind of guy. So I got up, moved blearily around and decided to at least brush my teeth. And then I noticed the closed door, remembered all the events from last night. Since I was in only my boxers, I decided it was probably a good idea, to actually wear some clothes.

After my shower, I peered into the fridge. Nothing. I will have to buy something from outside again, for the fourth day in a row.

Ginny walked into the room. "Morning," she yawned. Or fake- yawned, because instead of looking tired, she looked nervous. Very much so. "Um," She said. "Can we talk?"

That served as a warning. I briefly thought of, you know, giving an excuse. I thought of saying I needed to pee. I also thought of shooing her out.

Then again, nothing life- threatening with a talk, is there? Its not like she is a mad-axe murderer. Besides, she looked so innocent.

"Sure," I said, leaning against the doorway. "But I have to go to work, now, and there is nothing in the fridge…"

"Don't worry." She twisted her hands. "I- I don't have a place to stay. Do you think- I mean, I can pay you rent or something like that- do you have a place to stay?"

There's an extra rule here. Its very important. Don't break it. I broke it. I should know.

**Rule #3: DO NOT OFFER HER A PLACE TO STAY. ESPECIALLY IF ITS **_**YOUR PLACE**__._

"Sure," I shrugged. "Don't pay me rent. What the hell do you think I am, a landlord? That's really uncool."

"Oh my gosh, thanks!" Ginny smiled at me widely. "Thanks so much- I'd hug you, but I think you would feel awkward."

"Right in one." I looked at her closely. She looked so relieved and happy, I felt kind of happy myself. This was a new feeling. I usually felt snarky and sarcastic and pissing everyone off. That's usually what happens when your mum and dad and everyone else stops you from attending your dream school because of some stupid ass prophecy made by a woman in bangles who stares at crystal balls everyday, just so you could _train,_ apparently.

I figured out this new… feeling made me feel like helping her more.

So I did it my way. I picked up the daily prophet from yesterday and threw it in her direction. She jumped, and looked at me confusedly.

"Job interviews," I explained. "Places which need people. You can get a job, then."

Her jaw dropped. "Why are you helping so much?" She asked. "I mean- I barged into your house- I-"

"Stop that," I ordered. "Number one, you didn't barge. You rang the bell. Number two, I fancy myself a kind of Samaritan- helping poor souls who have lost their way." Before she could ask any more questions, I grabbed the keys, made a duplicate and threw it her way. The duplicate, I mean.

"Here- in case you return late."

As I grabbed my wallet and headed out, a voice stopped me. "Wait!"

I turned behind. Ginny looked at me tearfully. Yes, tearfully. What is with tears and girls?

"I'm a bad person. You don't know me."

I paused and looked at her carefully. "I've met a lot of bad people in my life, Ginny," I said kindly, "And you're not one of them."

"You don't know that."

Now she was really creeping me out. I left after a hasty "Ok, er, goodbye" and walked out. I was already thirty minutes late when I finally reached the Auror headquarters.

"Where the heck were you?" Dad snapped. "I need to brief you guys."

I swung my bag on the conference table and swung my legs on top of it. "Mission, or one of those mindless lectures about bravery and whatsit?"

"The latter, so shut it and pay _attention_ for once."

My sister's husband, three years older than me and the same age as her, Aidan Black, also Padfoot's son leaned towards me. "Something has happened," he whispered. "Someone set the dark mark over a house. Nothing happened, though. It was in some muggle village."

"Its happening again?" I asked, not bothering to keep my voice low.

Three voices answered. Dad's, Aidan's and Padfoot's. "Yes, it is happening again."

I banged my head against the table. It seemed like an appropriate action, despite the resulting welt appearing on it.

**A/N: OK, I think I may need to provide some family background before it gets too confusing. Harry never attended Hogwarts, he trained up with the Aurors, beat Voldemort, and then immediately got enlisted into the Aurors. His sister is Addie Potter who is married to Aidan Black, son of Sirius Black. Aidan's mother is dead, and Remus isn't married. Hope it didn't get too confusing…**

**Anyway, Happy new year!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I really need your help… because I have no idea how I am doing. This is the first time I am trying an actual, long multi chaptered fic, so I need you to tell me whether its good, or whether I should just give it up… so yeah, I need your reviews, pleeeaaaassseeee….**

**Anyway, this is the next chapter.**

I just offered to help a total stranger of whom I knew nada about. I also offered a place in my apartment, which was already cramped enough, considering.

All because said stranger was _pretty._

Dumbledore would be turning in his grave.

So would the rest of the Order members who died.

But that didn't stop me. I mean, there was this yearning to know more, a lure that urged me to find out more. Listen to me- I was starting to sound like somebody so completely pathetic.

Weeks passed though, and she was surprisingly easy to talk to. Apart from the times she would randomly burst into tears, until I finally lost my temper and yelled at her to stop feeling so sorry for herself and think about those poor children in Africa.

Since then, she hasn't cried once, and I'd like to think that I got through to her with the whole Africa thing.

I told her about my current problems, though. Like how the arguments between my dad and I have become legendary, or how there were all these weird attacks all over town, and no one could make head or tail of them.

The attacks were what worried me. Muggle villages would get randomly attacked. No one was spared. The Muggle minister got out some weird idea about a serial killer on a killing spree. It was more than a killer, though.

And the way that they were killed… no one was spared. Bloody entrails often coated the entire floor of the attacked houses. Limbs were severed. Everyone died a violent, bloody, painful death.

Coincidentally, the attacks started the same day Ginny came to my apartment. It was a coincidence, though. Coincidence. That's what I told myself.

It became a routine, though- we would get depressing reports, and then I would go home, and tell Ginny who clucked her tongue sympathetically.

And then we would talk about regular shit in general, always avoiding three subjects. My previous life fighting Voldemort. Her life with Drake Martin. The attacks.

It was a routine I could live with, though.

**Rule #4: When facing an enemy, do not hold extensive conversations with him. Kill him as soon as you can. Even if you are dying to insult him. Figuratively, not literally.**

About three weeks after my incident with Ginny, it happened. Something that really shook the peaceful- okay, not peaceful, but nearly- world I was residing in.

I was striding into the Auror office, late as usual. This really irritating guy, Zacharias Smith, sneered at me. "Late again, Potter- I really do not know why they haven't fired you yet."

"Because, believe it or not, Smith, I actually killed Voldemort instead of hiding at mummy's home like you were- oh, stop that, he's _dead._" I gave him a two- fingered salute- unfortunately, Dad was behind me at the time.

"If I ever see you do that again, I will jinx your fingers together," he said sharply, and I ignored him, marching into the room. "So, who died today?" I asked, and he sighed, walking behind me.

"No reports came in, but there is sure to be one-" He broke off as someone came rushing through. It was Adrian. What was unnatural, though, was that his normally immaculately combed hair was a mess, he was pale, and was sweating a bloody shower. I stared. "Mate, you okay?"

"We got something!" He practically yelled at me, and I winced. "Adrian, calm down-"

"This unknown owl came flying in with a letter, and dropped it on my desk, and took off-" I didn't wait for him to finish. I snatched the letter crumpled in his hands, ignoring his indignant shout of "Hey!" and opened it. I read through the scrawled message.

_Attack, today at Little Hangleton, 8:45pm._

I looked at my watch. It was 8:30pm.

"Shit," I breathed. Dad didn't even hesitate. He immediately raised his wand, and magnified his voice. "All Aurors, report to the Battle room and wait for orders to be dispatched." He looked at me and Adrian sharply. "We don't have time for a battle plan- Adrian, your dad will be there-"

I zoned him out. I stared at the handwriting on the letter. There was something so familiar about the handwriting… I looked at the 'i's in the letter. All dotted with a huge black spot which- I turned the letter over- which showed on the underside. The capital letters were huge, but the rest of the letters were small. The small 'y' was cursive.

There was only one place where I had seen this handwriting before. Two weeks and five days ago, Ginny had seen a job she liked in the paper- at some Quidditch shop. She had written a letter to the manager for the job. Since the only thing on television was at the time was a rerun of some old Star Wars movie, which I had already seen approximately ten times, I decided to look over her shoulder and see what she was writing.

Her handwriting looked exactly the same as the one in the letter I was holding between my stiff hands right now. My heart dropped down. "Oh my god…" I whispered, staring at the letter. It couldn't be- she didn't write this letter. If she knew anything about the attacks, she would tell me. I made her promise.

"_There are loads of attacks these days," I mentioned casually, leaning against the counter. "Just today a whole young family was slaughtered."_

_Ginny shuddered delicately. "Its so horrible, what sort of sick people are they to tear families apart- I heard about that young girl who is in a coma. She saw her parents get torn apart by werewolves."_

_It made me sick too. "It makes me sick too," I repeated my thoughts. "I really want to put these assholes in Azkaban- in fact, I'm not sure Azkaban would be good enough for them." _

_I hesitated as she wiped a plate clean with a cloth. "Hey, um, you would tell me if- you know, you have some clue about these attacks."_

_There was a hesitant pause. She finally nodded. "Yeah of course, although these attacks confuse me as well. I know nothing."_

I know nothing. She told me that. She would do anything to stop these attacks. I saw it in her face. If she did write this letter.., she could have told me herself.

Maybe someone faked her writing. Like that Drake Martin.

Yet, there was this bubble of suspicion in my stomach widening.

What reason had she to hide the truth from me, her only friend at the moment? None. Someone probably faked her writing. But why?

Maybe it wasn't her writing, and I was freaking out like someone who OD'd on coffee for no reason at all.

"- do the best we can… Harry, are you listening to me? Harry?" I looked up, my eyes wide. Dad stared at me, as I swore under my breath, still thinking. Then I realized I looked like someone escaped from a mental asylum, and immediately rearranged my looks into one of indifferent concern.

"Well, lets get going," I said casually and made to walk past Dad when Adrian grabbed me holding me fast in place. I mentally groaned.

"Is there something? You just looked like- Harry, do you know who wrote that letter?" Dad's eyes bored into mine. Adrian looked between us confusedly. Dad has this power to make you intimidated and powerless. Like he knows what you're thinking. Like he's looking straight into your soul. Kind of like he is looking straight into your very soul. I swallowed. At nine, that would have made me spill, but I was twenty now, an adult. Some things you have to keep to yourself.

Even if I was about to regret it later.

"No," I finally answered. "No, I don't Dad, don't be ridiculous. Honestly." I scoffed.

"So why did you look like…"

"I don't have my lucky shirt on." It was a poor excuse.

They just stared at me. "Give me a break," I said irritably, feeling annoyed. "You don't need to freaking harp on me for every little thing I do." Only I didn't say freaking.

I marched out of the room, two pairs of eyes boring into my back.

Dad didn't question me further, and Adrian didn't either. However, both did tell Padfoot. Which irked me a lot. I hated it whenever they wanted to gang up on me in secret. I still had all my reflexes from the war. Therefore, I knew it when another pair of eyes joined two. I was only lucky Moony wasn't with them.

When we reached the village, it was already burning. Houses were lit alight. It went haywire from there. Everyone split up. I ran forward and immediately shoved a little girl aside, shooting an explosive spell at the Death Eater who was sneering down at her.

"I can't find mummy," she sobbed. I bent down. The girl's blue eyes stared at me. It wrenched my heart- I knew exactly what happened to her mother.

I could see a tent being set up already by healers in some distance away. I held out a small piece of paper. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"A- Annie."

"Okay, Annie." I gave the paper to her. "Hold on to this tightly, it will take you to a place safe, I promise you. Everything will be okay, I promise."

I placed the paper in her hands and closed her tiny fist. Immediately, she disappeared to the tent. The paper was a portkey- all Aurors were required to have some.

I straightened up and dived into the fray.

Slowly I worked through the crowd, striking down the Death Eaters. My heart pounded, and adrenaline was pumping like it usually happened. All around me were Aurors locked in duels with Death Eaters. We had a large number of Aurors at our arsenal; but apparently they had a pretty big force too.

Having been one of the last ones to reach the place, which literally was on fire- I ran through the crowd of wizards dueling, shooting so many defensive spells left and right that I lost count. Catching sight of Adrian fighting some hooded guy ferociously, I decided to end his pain and quickly shot a spell in said hooded guy's direction. Said hooded guy fell down and Adrian ran towards me.

"I would have gotten him in a few seconds," He grumbled, and I rolled my eyes. "Sure," I said disinterestedly. I looked around. "What the hell is going on?" I asked. "I mean, no one knew we were coming to stave off the attack…"

"Obviously, Aurors aren't known for being subtle," Adrian said, annoyed. "Dad told me that the hooded guys were gonna burst into the house and that's when a few of the younger Aurors lost their heads and immediately started shooting spells. It was crazy shit from then on."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Dad's words, not mine," he clarified, and looked worriedly around him. "Hey, many of the death eaters seem to be down already- was it you?" If there was one thing I know, it was that sometimes the best way to kill a death eater was to shoot a spell in their backs- especially when they were preoccupied. I grinned, and then sobered up at once. "Where's Dad? And Padfoot?"

"You mean my dad," Adrian said dryly, then frowned. "You know what, I'm not sure. I mean, the last time I saw them they were fighting a couple of death eaters, four on two but they seemed to be doing well…" I searched around me. Pools of blood, dead bodies- thankfully of death eaters- and rubble, but no dad. Or Padfoot, for that matter.

"Where could they be?" I asked Adrian. Dad was a great duelist, but now I was starting to slightly worry.

A second later, I knew where they were. There was an old house at the end of the huge cobbled street we were all on. That same old house burst into great, huge dancing flames.

Adrian and I looked at each other.

"Shit," we both said simultaneously, and made a mad dash for the house. When we reached it, we noticed it was right next to a great field, where all senior aurors- the more skilled ones, anyway- were dueling death eaters moving faster than anything I had ever seen.

I cursed loudly, and the closest death eater creating havoc looked at me. "Oh, look who it is," He sneered. "The chosen one."

People know by now that one never insults me.

Adrian looked disapprovingly at his bloody figure lying near my feet. "You didn't even _let _him raise his wand."

"If you really care about formalities during war, fine by me." Ignoring his retort, I ran headlong into the raging battle. Dad and someone I didn't know were dueling madly in the middle of the field.

Then I heard the cracking of spindly twigs crunching beneath pattering feet, and whirled around, wand at ready. The wand hand of the guy behind me faltered slightly. He was exactly the same height as me. Same age as me, intent on killing me.

This is where my rule comes in, in case you were wondering.

"You and your death eater cronies are the ones killing all those people, aren't you?" I asked harshly.

"It's a fun pastime, you should try it sometime." He deflected my spell. I narrowed my eyes.

"You don't even care, do you? That you tore up so many families- don't you have any conscience at all? Or a soul? Heck, you aren't even human, by the look of it!" I shot another spell and it sliced his arm. I silently cheered viciously.

"Had your little heart broken, ickle Potter? Maybe you broke out of your shell and realized that for killing the Dark Lord, there are consequences."

My spell went awry. "_What?"_ His spell hit me on the thigh, but I barely noticed.

"You just don't get it, do you? He's dead! He- isn't- coming- back!" I shot spells at him in rapid succession and he yelled as his torso seemed covered in slashes. I winced as one well shot spell broke my leg. "I killed him. For your information, I did bloody well see the green light hit him _in the chest_-"

"He is dead. But people can come back. We can bring people back, and then he will kill you. You mark my words, Potter, the Death Eaters would come back with a vengeance once he is alive."

I stared blankly at him. "What the bloody hell are you talking about? Who the bloody hell are you?"

I was frozen. Coming back from the dead? What the hell? He managed to shoot a cutting hex at me, and I fell to the ground hard, blood soaking my shirt. He smirked at me, and took out a scrap piece of cloth. It was a portkey, and started to glow blue.

"As for who I _am,_ why don't you ask Ginny Weasley that?"

I could only watch in horror (and pain) as he portkeyed away, gravely injured and practically coated in blood. A voice in my head suddenly whispered, _you're bleeding out, Potter._ I looked down.

The git had sliced open my bloody stomach.

I closed my eyes wearily, and heard a few voices. "Oh my god- he is bleeding- Harry, wake up!"

I drifted away into the peaceful black, damning Ginny Weasley to hell on the way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling has the rights.**

I felt like crap.

My head felt like it was about to split open. My stomach felt like it was _already _split open. There was a really bad taste in my mouth. Like I had puked or something.

There was a sickly hospital smell permeating my nostrils. The bed I was lying on was soft and not that comfortable. Normally, when you feel like crap, and you are lying on something soft, and you smell something that screams St. Mungo's hospital, you come to one conclusion. That you screwed up, got hurt during an Auror mission, and now you are currently waiting for your mum to yell at you for being so 'reckless, and thoughtless, and I hope this changes your mind about being an Auror!'

I could hear voices though, voices belonging to my currently and apparently pissed off family members.

"Its all my fault. I should have protected him-"

_Thwack._

"How many times, Aidan Black, must I say that it sure as hell _wasn't your fault?_ My stupid brother chose to dive headlong into the battle, my stupid brother chose to freeze right in the middle of a battle, my stupid brother also chose to get sliced up with those awful cutting curses. Not you."

I recognized Addie's voice, and groaned.

Everything immediately became quiet. There was a hushed voice. "Is he waking up?" Ginny asked.

Hang on. Ginny, my sister, and her husband, all in the same room? What the hell was going on?

It was quite clear I needed to wake up.

I opened my eyes and squinted. Damn. Where were my glasses? "What the hell is going on?" I demanded at the reddish blob and blackish blob in front of me. Addie jammed on my glasses- a bit too harshly- and I blinked, trying to focus. My headache had increased tenfold, and I became aware of an uncomfortable scratchiness in my throat.

"How are you feeling?" Her red hair was tied up in a bun with a few tendrils loose, and her hazel eyes- inherited from dad- peered at me anxiously. "Are you alright?"

I blinked. "No, I feel like shit. I need some water." Almost instantly, Aidan snatched the glass of water from beside me and said, "I can hold the straw for you to drink," but stopped at the look on my face. _His_ face was a mixture of worry and anguish and guilt. Trust Aidan to blame himself. Not that I didn't do the same thing- but he must have got it from me.

And just like that, as Ginny quietly put the glass back on the table, tear tracks on her face- why was she crying? It felt nice, though, in a twisted way- all the events of that Auror mission which landed me in this sickly- smelling bed came flooding back to me. The guy with the hood, arguing with him, his parting lines, and letting him escape through my fingers as I had stood there dumb with shock.

His parting lines, insinuating Ginny Weasley knew him. I opened my mouth, preparing to ask her about that, but closed it again at the distraught look on her face. I couldn't ask her that. Not in front of my brother- in- law and sister, anyway. For some reason, I didn't feel the terribly urgent need to inform them of what really went down between that Death Eater and me. They didn't need to know that.

I looked at Addie and Aidan. "So what happened?" I asked Aidan, determined to be in the loop.

"Well," Aidan began, "You were kinda hit really hard in the stomach with a seriously vicious cutting hex and you kinda bled a lot." He looked vaguely sick and ill. "I mean, there was a really huge pool of blood, and you looked as if you died, and that freaked everyone out a lot, so Uncle Prongs- your dad- apparated you out of that place to here. We didn't think you could make it in the tent. It was touch and go for a few hours, too." He took a deep breath, and I could see him visibly trying to compose himself and not show his worry. "You have been out for four days. Your mum, both our dads, Tonks and Moony are in the cafeteria- they have been by your side the whole time."

Aidan looked very relieved, with dark circles under his eyes. I swallowed, feeling the reality hit me. I turned to Addie, who looked the same, except it was the look of murderous rage and not relief in her eyes.

Shit.

"Now, we have glossed over the details," she hissed, barely a whisper but still enough to make me, Ginny and Aidan all pale a few shades, "Please, do tell me, brother mine, what possessed you to be so reckless, go fight this guy on your own without telling anyone, and not even yelling for help when you so clearly needed it."

Now that was insulting to my dueling skills. "Addie, I did not need help-"

Addie jumped up. Aidan visibly winced, and tried to escape, but at a harsh tug of Addie's well-manicured hand, he was forced down on the chair again. "I clearly remember you promising mum," she yelled, and the glass of water kind of shook, "that you would not get hurt on the job, that you would be careful, that you would not be reckless-"

At this, I tried to sit up, but fell back down again from the explosive pain in my stomach. "I wasn't reckless!" I yelped. "I was winning the duel, but something he said caught me off- guard!"

Addie promptly stopped yelling and stared at me in shock. Aidan shot up in his seat, a lok of alarm and interest in his eyes. "Something to catch you off- guard enough to make you freeze in battle, when you were clearly winning?" He asked sharply. "I was watching the battle, Harry, and I saw you winning the duel til he suddenly laughed and said something and you instantly froze. You don't normally freeze like that, Harry. What did he say?"

Ah, shit.

In defending myself, I had not realized what I had said until I said it, and now I was going to have to rat out Ginny. They would immediately understand that the attack would have something to do with Ginny- that Ginny was a death eater, and she was out to get me. And try as I might, I simply could not find a reason to accuse her. If she was really death eater, she had plenty of opportunities the past few weeks to kill me- and she didn't. Besides, my gut feeling told me that she was a good person. And I have been in plenty of occasions that told me to always trust my gut feeling.

My mind flashed back to another thing that death eater said. Maybe I couldn't tell Aidan the truth- but I could tell him a part of it.

"He- he said something like- there will be consequences for me killing Voldemort. And when he said it, there was this look in his eyes, like he knew something I didn't." I broke off. I distinctly remembered him also saying something like, _people can be brought back from the dead._

For some reason, I was reluctant to give him this piece of information. Besides, there was no way you could make a person alive after he died- the idea was just plain ridiculous. Maybe it was the death eater's big mouth talking.

Aidan frowned. "Well, alright. I will go to Dad and Prongs, tell them that- maybe they are indeed planning something, and I can tell them to warn them ahead- we need all our resources at hand." He stood up, and clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Get well soon, Harry- I want my best dueling partner back on the field with me- its irritating dueling with the likes of Macmillan and Smith." He grinned at me and made to walk away when Addie grabbed hold of his hand. "Do you need to go so fast?" she whimpered, looking anxious. "Surely it can-"

"It can't wait," Aidan told her gently, and kissed her as I looked away in disgust. "We need to reassure the press, and settle matters…"

As he left, feeling forlorn and very tired, I looked at both Ginny and Addie. "So how do you two know each other?" I asked.

Addie suddenly grinned. That kind of grin that made you want to hide under the pillows for protection. "Oh, Gina contacted me, and seemed very worried about your whereabouts. I then told her you were here. She seemed very anxious- I had no idea that you had a girl hiding inside your house, Harry. I can't believe you hid her from us- she is so very charming."

Gina? She must have lied about her name to Addie. I looked at Ginny, eyebrows raised and saw her flushing a deep, dark, red. So she did lie about her name. I then turned my head towards Addie, who was currently waggling her eyebrows at me. "We're just friends," I added sharply. "Gin… er, Gina… needed a place to stay, so I offered her the spare bedroom."Addie looked as if she didn't believe a word. "Mum met her anyway," she continued. "And mum loves her, but is really angry at you for the whole incident. Seriously, Harry, you aged everyone by ten years. Promise never to scare us like that again."

I almost rolled my eyes, but stopped as I noticed how pale she looked. "Okay, Addie," I sighed.

Addie then stood up and stretched. "I need to get the twins from Tonks. They are all in the cafeteria now- I will tell them you have awoken. The healers said you are out of danger, but you still need to rest and take those potions at home. They also agreed that you would be released the afternoon after you awoke, which is tomorrow." Addie scowled at the latter. Seeing as she used to be a healer, it was understandable that she did not think much of the healers' recommendation. "I am gonna find-"

I never did find out what or who she was going to find, as a herd of people burst into the quiet hospital room. Ginny jerked in her seat, and Addie jumped half a foot into the air, as Mum rushed to me and pushing Addie out of the way, began to fuss over my hair and the bedsheets. Eager to get rid of the attention and the fussing, I carefully sat up- thankfully the pain had somewhat lessened to a dull throb- and ignored my mum's shrieking, and tried to ignore Ginny's quiet chuckles. Her quiet chuckles were much more captivating to listen to, though.

"- JUST SO RECKLESS, EXACTLY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, HARRY JAMES POTTER-"

"Lily, that's enough- I think he gets the point."

I shot a grateful look at my dad, only to catch him frowning at Ginny, as if trying to recognize her. I watched bemusedly as Ginny pulled her red hair in front of her face, effectively hiding her face from Dad.

"So, what really happened? What's the fallout?" I asked Padfoot eagerly. Addie, however stood up, and after muttering, "I really need to go and find Tonks and Remus," walked out of the room. Mum sat in the vacated seat, never taking her eyes off me, and somehow managing to glare at me at the same time.

Sirius sat on the seat next to mum, and said, "Many muggles died, and a few of our Aurors. There was something strange about what the death eaters we captured had to say, though- once they tried to tell us what was going on when we threatened them with lifetime in Azkaban, they would start foaming at the mouth." He looked worried. "These death eaters are taking no chances at all."

"We didn't manage to catch the Death Eater who attacked you," Dad interrupted, looking slightly irritated at the latter. "Aidan told us about what he said to you." He visibly tried to steel himself. "Harry, once you fell every single Death Eater that was walking and talking and unscathed save for your death eater portkeyed out. Its- well, we think that the sole objective of the Death Eaters attacking was to harm you- what for, I don't know." He looked at me, worry in his eyes. "We think that they were targeting you."

I shrugged. "No more than usual."

Dad leaned forward. "Harry, you don't understand. They were actually trying to get you not because they have a grudge against you but because you might come of some use to them."

Silence reigned as I remembered the chaos that had occurred the last time this had happened, and Ginny spoke up for the first time. "Um, sorry for- er, cutting in-" her voice sounded heavenly-"but if they did want to get to Harry, wouldn't they have just grabbed him?"

Dad stared at her. "Well, that's the part that confuses us too," he finally said. "We don't really know what to think, except that my son is in danger."

I sat up, contemplating things for a while, then threw back the cover. "I need to get out of here," I said firmly, but mum and Ginny both pushed me back.

"You have been sliced in half, you are not going anywhere," Mum snarled, as Ginny growled, "You can afford to be out of action, Potter."

Dad, Padfoot and I stared at them glaring at me. "Alright," I said bemusedly, "I will lie here like a freaking invalid." The resemblance between my mum and Ginny was uncanny.

Padfoot sniggered and muttered something about "_like father, like son"_ and "_figures he would go for a redhead."_ Ginny turned a startling crimson, as I looked for my wand to curse Padfoot with.

**Author's note: Yes, I know this chapter was three months late, and I am terribly sorry about the late update. I saw the reviews though, and decided that I will update this story and not let it turn to dust.:)**

**Hope you like this update though- not much happening, and its crappier than before. However, everything heats up in the next few chapters, with a bit more heat between our favourite couple**

**So, I guess what I am saying is, don't give up on this story yet. There is still a lot more to come**

**Oh, and if there was any confusion, Sirius' son would be named Aidan Black and not Adrian Black. I would be changing the mistake in the earlier chapters as well.:)**


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